The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for use in home and office security. More particularly methods and apparatus for securely keeping a door from being forcibly broken down, both while it is closed and while it is partially open, are disclosed.
Crime rates, particularly rates pertaining to home-invasion crimes, are on the rise. As such, the issue of home security is of considerable concern to many people. Since a substantial percentage of home-invasion crimes begin with the act of a door being broken down, specialized door security devices have been developed to prevent doors from being broken down from the outside.
Although existing door security devices in the market today have been shown to be effective in preventing doors from being broken down from the outside when the door is completely closed, these existing devices are not particularly effective at securing the door in its partially open state, e.g., when the occupant desires to open the door partially to identify the caller, to receive mail or packages, to allow in pets, or the like. Further, many existing door security devices are complex and difficult to use (e.g., lock, unlock, engage, disengage, etc.), and as a result, a user may have trouble opening the door during emergencies where time is crucial. For example, during a fire a person may not have time to unlock and/or disengage the lock.
In view of the foregoing, what are desired are improved methods and apparatus for securely keeping a door from being forcibly broken down, both in its closed state and in its partially open state.
The invention relates, in one embodiment, to an apparatus for holding a door. The apparatus includes a body member configured to be coupled to a floor. The apparatus further includes a locking member movably coupled to the body member, and having an end that is configured to engage the door. The apparatus additionally includes a stop arrangement coupled to the locking member and configured to hold the locking member in a predetermined position relative to the body member. The predetermined position associating with a predefined door position, such that the holding prevents the door from moving past a predefined door position when the locking member is engaged with the door.
The invention relates, in another embodiment, to an apparatus for holding a swinging door. The apparatus including a door mounting plate configured to be mounted to the door. The apparatus further including a floor mounting plate configured to be mounted to a floor. The apparatus additionally including a body member coupled to the floor mounting plate. The apparatus further including a locking member slidably coupled to the body member, and having an end that is configured to be coupled to the door mounting plate. The apparatus also including a stop arrangement configured to hold the locking member in at least one predetermined position relative to the body member.
The stop arrangement including a stop ridge coupled to the locking member, and a stop plate pivotly coupled to the body member and arranged to engage a portion of the stop ridge. The stop ridge and the stop plate being configured to cooperate to prevent the locking member from sliding past the predetermined position when the stop plate is engaged with the stop ridge, wherein when the door mounting plate is mounted to the door, the floor mounting plate is mounted to the floor, the locking member is coupled to the door mounting plate, and the stop arrangement is holding the locking member, then the door is prevented from moving in at least one direction.
The invention relates, in another embodiment, to an apparatus for holding a swinging door. The apparatus including a door mounting plate configured to be mounted to the door. The apparatus further including a floor mounting plate configured to be mounted to a floor. The apparatus additionally including a body member coupled to the floor mounting plate. The apparatus further including a locking member slidably coupled to the body member, and having an end that is configured to be coupled to the door mounting plate. The apparatus also including a stop arrangement configured to hold the locking member in at least one predetermined position relative to the body member.
The stop arrangement including a stop ridge coupled to the locking member, and arranged to engage a portion of the body member. The stop ridge and the body member being configured to cooperate to prevent the locking member from sliding past the predetermined position when the stop ridge is engaged with the body member, wherein when the door mounting plate is mounted to the door, the floor mounting plate is mounted to the floor, the locking member is coupled to the door mounting plate, and the stop arrangement is holding the locking member, then the door is prevented from moving in at least one direction.
The invention relates, in another embodiment, to an apparatus for preventing a door from being forcibly opened from either a first predefined position or a second predefined position, the door being opened further in the second predefined position than in the first predefined position. The apparatus including a door mounting plate configured to be mounted to the door. The apparatus further including a floor mounting plate configured to be mounted to a floor. The apparatus additionally including a body member coupled to the floor mounting plate. The apparatus further including a locking member slidably coupled to the body member, and having an end that is configured to be coupled to the door mounting plate. The apparatus also including a stop arrangement configured to hold the locking member in either a first predetermined position or a second predetermined position relative to the body member.
The stop arrangement including a stop ridge coupled to the locking member, and arranged to engage a portion of the body member, and a stop plate pivotly coupled to the body member, and arranged to engage a portion of the stop ridge. The stop ridge and the stop plate being configured to cooperate to prevent the locking member from sliding past the first predetermined position when the stop plate is engaged with the stop ridge. The stop ridge and the body member being configured to cooperate to prevent the locking member from sliding past the second predetermined position when the stop ridge is engaged with the body member, wherein when the door mounting plate is mounted to the door, the floor mounting plate is mounted to the floor, the locking member is coupled to the door mounting plate, and the stop arrangement is holding the locking member in the first predetermined position, then the door is prevented from moving past the first predefined position, and wherein when the door mounting plate is mounted to the door, the floor mounting plate is mounted to the floor, the locking member is coupled to the door mounting plate, and the stop arrangement is holding the locking member in the second predetermined position, then the door is prevented from moving past the second predefined position.